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It is impossible to pick up a product today that doesn't have some type of warning label, usually one warning us against something that should be obvious: "coffee is hot," "do not put toaster in bathtub," "do not eat contents of printer cartridge." Ultimately, all of these warnings are designed simply to protect the manufacturer from lawsuits. The premise of this question is one of the most optimistic I've read in a while, if only because it assumes that kids are reading. It also assumes that rating systems actually work and that parents are involved enough to know what their kids are reading and that they take the time to determine how appropriate the material is for their child's age and level of maturity. These are some bold assumptions.

How many kids under 12 have played video games that are clearly marked as having violent content and being for mature audiences? How many own CD's with the cool Parental Advisory tag on it? More than we can count, and in most cases it's the parents who bought the game or CD. Rating books would be no different, except that the books with various warnings on the cover would likely become instant best sellers.

And who would do this rating? If you consider some of the books that have been banned in America at various times, this is a little scary to think about. Books ranging from "Of Mice and Men" to "Catcher in the Rye" to "Ulysses" have been banned outright, so there is no telling what books would get a simple warning label. Certainly all of the Harry Potter series, and probably Tom Sawyer as well. It wouldn't surprise me to see some overzealous rater slap a warning on Fahrenheit 451 without even seeing the irony of such an act.

No rating panel, even a so-called independent one, could satisfy every interest group that would weigh in on the process. Various religious groups are offended by some things, while political groups are offended by very different subject matter. What is acceptable in San Francisco might not be in Topeka. There is still much debate over the rating system for movies, and that's been around for decades.

My advice is to forget the idea of putting warnings on books. Just be aware of what you're children are reading, and guide them in the direction you feel best as their parents. The thought police still have plenty to do arguing about the positive or negative influences of boy wizards and DaVinci Codes.

Learn more about this author, Bruno Somerset.
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